CR and E

Calling Evangelical Free Church Apologists

2008-08-18T19:27:00.002-05:00

I have been a member of an EFCA church for several years now. I know there are several published scholars associated with the seminary and the denomination, but I'm not aware of any E Free lay apologists. I know you are out there, I simply haven't met you yet. I would enjoy emeeting you. I'm wondering if there is an opportunity for collaborative efforts on a couple of apologetics fronts. If you recognize yourself in this, drop into the meta and say hey.

What is Christian Apologetics?

2008-08-13T14:49:00.003-05:00

I've been studying and practicing apologetics for several years now. Dr. Bob Morey has been a great help to me, both in understanding doctrine and living it out in my life. In the following brief video, he gives a great description on apologetics.

Follow the Lamb

2008-07-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

Horatius Bonar writes the following in his little booklet, Follow The Lamb.

He that loves Christ will long to see Him, and will not be content with the interviews which faith gives. The lover seeks the absent loved one, the wife the husband, the child the mother; so do you your Lord. It is not enough that you can communicate with Him daily by the epistles which faith brings and carries; you must see Him face to face, otherwise there is a blank in your life, a void in your existence, a cloud over your love, and a faltering in your song. The saved one desires to meet his Saviour, and feels that his joy must be imperfect till then. It is the mark of a disciple that he 'waits for the Son of God from heaven' (1 Thess 1:10); that he loves, looks for, longs for the appearance of Christ. Let this mark be seen on you; and be like the Corinthian saints, of whom it was told by their apostle, 'Ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Cor 1:7). 'Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 1:13).

We must spend time to cultivate this kind of holy longing for our Savior. "Lord, give us a desire to desire you, a hunger to feed on you, a need to be with you."

Book Review: Bruce Ware's Father, Son, & Holy Spirit

2008-07-19T11:23:00.007-05:00

Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance

Bruce Ware authored a book on the Trinity, published through Crossway Books in 2005 titled Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. It is a focused examination of certain aspects of the Trinity. The subtitle reveals the focal points: "Relationships, Roles, & Relevance". In other words, Ware is going to explore the interactions of the persons of the Trinity, the roles they play in several areas, and the relevance the doctrine has for us today. The work is unique in both its content and length. Doctrinal works on the Trinity are relatively rare. Given the acedemic air that Ware breathes one could easily expect a voluminous treatment. This book is a short read. I did not say it was a quick read. Not quick. Short.

Dr. Ware is briefly biographed on the back cover as the Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. I have read a couple of his other works and listened to some of his lectures responding to the Open Theism heresy. His work has been helpful in understanding the issues with Open Theism from a conservative evangelical point of view. So, how about this book? It has proven to be a mixed bag. Some good, some bad. Let's look at the good first.

The Good

Wonder
Ware reflects with amazement that the Father involves us in his kingdom work. I identify with the author when he roots his amazement in his own personality flaw of perfectionism. It is very hard for a perfectionist to let go of the reigns and allow someone else to do the work. I had to nod my head in agreement with Ware. The Father's generosity of opportunity in labor that is everlasting in its fruits (namely sharing the gospel in many forms) is truly wonderful and can rightly bring wonder to our hearts as part of our vocabulary of worship.

True Fatherhood
Ware asserts that we can learn what true fatherhood is by looking to God the Father as our great exemplar. He raises distinct but complementary aspects for our consideration:

"God as Father insists on our respect and obedience."

"God fathers us by being lavish, generous, even extravagant in his care, love, provision, and protection for his children."

I love the way Ware builds both our awareness of God's care and our worship vocabulary simultaneously. He has hit the true mark of theology - this is theology that issues forth in doxology, theology that leads to worship. It is not an easy mark to hit.

Radical Feminism
Ware spends a full paragraph defending God's self-revelation as Father and strongly denouncing the radical feminist pursuit to eradicate masculine language of God in Scripture. Given the heart-commitment that some have to the feminist viewpoint, it is unlikely (humanly speaking) that the arguments presented will sway their thinking. Their ears are stuffed full with zeal. Even so, I thought Ware wrote with appropriate strength about the unbiblical nature of the feminist view. If we are to take the Scriptures as God-breathed we must make sense of them as they stand, not by tinkering with the wording to make it more palatable to modern tastes (so much for my poker-face in gender-neutral translations and the egalitarian debate).

Reciprocal Honor
Ware highlights the need for reciprocal honor of those in authority and those under authority. He asserts that the inter-relationships of the Trinity are the model and basis for this mutual honor. He does not demand one-way honor directed towards authority. He calls for reciprocal honor, all based on observed relationships within the Trinity. There is a healthy balance that is all too easily thrown off-kilter by our lusts and love of idolatry (especially when we are the idol).

One clarification could be raised here. Ware designates the inter-relationships of the Trinity as the model for reciprocal honor between the one in authority and the one under authority and he intends us to apply it on our plane of human inter-relationships. That is where the reciprocal honor applies. Honor does not apply reciprocally between God and us. Perhaps I am naieve in thinking this way, but I do not presume to expect God to honor me mutually in my relationship with Him. I may pray for His blessing, but honor flows one direction in this relationship... from me to Him.

Jesus and the Spirit
Ware examines an aspect of Jesus' human life that I've rarely seen explored. He makes the case that Jesus' sinless human life is grounded in his submission to the Spirit rather than his divine nature. In doing so, Ware is exerting himself to bring Jesus' humanity to the forefront in the single most challenging area of the Christian faith - our daily walk. How many times have you felt disconnected from the perfection of Jesus' life because of the easy excuse, "He was God in the flesh. What do you expect of me?" This life of submission to and reliance upon the Holy Spirit is a good point that needs to be explored more widely in modern evangelical circles. Holiness continues to be a challenge to the modern soul, at times disappearing from mention concerning the daily walk of the Christian. This is one of the points that Ware makes which could benefit from much more treatment. He cannot explore it adequately in the brevity of this work.

Real Humanity - Interconnected and Interdependent
Ware notes our American cultural autonomy and its appeal to the power of the individual. In contrast, he places Trinitarian inter-relationships as the pattern for real, authentic humanity - interconnected and interdependent. Anticipating potential reactions to what I've written here, I want to highlight that Ware is speaking of the influence of our cultural autonomy. Ware is not proposing a socialist political identity or some other nonsense as a corrective to our cultural autonomy.

Relationships and Essential Being Within the Trinity

Ware correctly attributes simultaneous worship of the Father and Son. He discusses equality of the essential nature of the persons of the Trinity (the ontological trinity, theologically speaking). He emphasizes and re-emphasizes the authority structure of the functional relationships of the Trinity (the economic Trinity).

Counsel for Christian Husbands
Ware writes forcefully and pointedly of the example set before Christian husbands in the care of their wives. His thought is founded upon the demonstrated interplay between the persons of the Trinity. I appreciate him including this section of the book. The way he presents the material is helpful and will make a difference in the way I care for my own dear wife.

Having noted all of the above points as good and profitable portions of Ware's book, let's move on to a couple of problematic portions.

The Bad
I was surprised to find what Ware has written concerning Christian prayer and Christian worship as it relates to the Trinity. Prayer and worship sit squarely in the practice of the daily Christian walk. Several other areas Ware explores in the book are experiential, but none of them have the kind of deep impact that prayer and worship have in the life of the believer.

Prayer
Ware is deeply committed to the form of prayer prescribed by Jesus for the disciples in Matt 6/Luke 11. He emphasizes this form early in the work and repeats it often throughout the book. The repetition makes it obvious that this is a strong current in Ware's theology. In a nutshell, Ware believes Christian prayer is directed to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit. Period.

Ware recognizes the radical nature of his position, identifying it as such in his first mention on page 18. Even though this is his initial presentation of it, it is phrased in very strong language. He exerts himself to bring home the controversial nature of his position. He writes the following:

"The Christian's life of prayer must rightly acknowledge the roles of the Father, Son, and Spirit as we pray to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit. ... May I suggest something both clear and radical? If Jesus taught us to pray to the Father, then we ought to do this. ... So prayer rightly understood - Christian prayer - is prayer to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit. To pray aright, we need a deep appreciation for the doctrine of the Trinity." p.18

I agree with Ware on two points. His position is both clear and radical. In the face of such radical clarity, should we adapt our devotional life to fit Ware's definition of Christian prayer? After all, he is an established Christian scholar and seminary professor. It is obvious that he possesses the training and credentials to form a powerful case for his position. Nonetheless, in my years of research and observation of pseudo-Christian cults, I have constantly encountered hundreds of clear, radical beliefs. We clearly must ask the question, "Is this biblical?" Clear? Yes. Radical? Absolutely. Biblical? (spoiler alert) Absolutely not.

Ware understands well enough that he is setting himself in opposition to the devotional instruction and example that many (probably most) evangelicals have received. He writes, "We may encourage our children, especially, to open their prayers with, 'Dear Jesus,' despite the fact that Jesus said to pray 'Our Father in heaven . . .'".

Let's be clear about this. Ware isn't suggesting a slight modification to the prayer life of the evangelical Christian, where we address the Father or the Son in a mixture of Christian freedom. He rejects prayer to Christ as Christian prayer; as praying aright; and as meaningful, biblical prayer. He explicitly states that addressing our prayers to the Father alone is to pray aright. If adherence to his position is to pray aright, then stepping outside of it is to pray awrong. Ware indicts modern evangelical piety head-on. In doing so, has he indicted biblical prayer as well?

Stephen - The First Christian Martyr

And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:59-60, NASB)

The Disciples When Replacing Judas Iscariot

And they prayed, and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. " (Acts 1:24-25, NASB)

Saul's Thorn in the Flesh

Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9, NASB)

Christ Answers Prayer Directed to Him

"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14, NASB)

Paul Entreats Jesus

Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; (1 Thessalonians 3:11-12, NASB)

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NASB)

The Last Prayer in the Bible

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20, NASB)

A Biblical View
The above is a sample of the available examples. They provide ample biblical evidence that Christian prayer may be directed to Christ and not solely to the Father in Christ's name. Ware's view is clear, radical, and unbiblical. There is a sense in which Ware's rebuke of evangelical practice is proper. By and large, evangelical Christians appear to function as 'Jesus only' unitarians. We overemphasize Jesus and hold the Father at arms' length. As a corrective to this imbalanced piety, Ware is on target that a faulty understanding of the Trinity drives us away from the Father in our devotional life. It would be a much easier pill to swallow if Ware did not employ such stark language contrasting typical practice with his radical suggestion. If his goal was to encourage us to return to addressing the Father in concert with the Son, there was no need for the extreme contrast. Due to the fact he uses such contrast, this was obviously not his simple goal. He is intentional enough in what he has said to make it clear he is proposing a complete reformation of evangelical prayer.

James White addresses the evangelical 'Jesus only' prayer life in his book The Forgotten Trinity with as much clarity as Ware but without adopting the radical position Ware has taken up. I heartily recommend White's book on the Trinity as a fine starting point to understanding the Trinity and its necessary impact on all aspects of our life, faith, piety, and practice. It is a fuller treatment of the Trinity than Ware's book. Granted, Ware is focusing on specific aspects of the Trinity, which again indicates that his book is not the place for the committed reader to begin studying the Trinity.

The Normal Pattern

When you survey the pattern of prayer demonstrated in the New Testament, you will find that most prayers are directed to the Father. Ware pushes us towards this biblical model of prayer, but he does so too forcefully. I cannot appreciate the beauty of a cliffside panorama if you shove me over the edge. We would all benefit from cultivating our devotional relationship with the Father but this does not justify making a case appear stronger than it is. If only Ware would have approached this evangelical imbalance in a balanced manner, he may have had a much more positive and wide ranging impact. Imbalance is not corrected by another imbalance.

Concerning Worship

Ware states:

"Hence, Christian worship must be worship of the Son, by the power of the Spirit, to the ultimate glory of the Father. Worship is deeply satisfying and correctly expressed to the glory of this triune God only as it is exercised within this trinitarian framework" (p.155)

In approaching the topic of worship, Ware again falls into language that is too strong and imbalanced. "Christian worship must be worship of the Son"? I believe Ware is less than coherent on this point. Jesus gave explicit instruction in Luke 4:8 concerning worship of God that is unreconcilable with his instruction to the woman at the well in John 4:21-24 if we adopt Ware's position. It feels as if Ware has made a similar error in thinking as he made with prayer. In offering a corrective to an imbalance in current practice, he goes too far and ends up out on a theological limb.

Worship and prayer are related. Many, if not most, consider prayer to be an act of worship. If Christian prayer (a form of worship) is to be directed to the Father alone and Christian worship (which would include prayer) is to be directed to the Son alone, we are stuck in a theological dead-end. Can we do either in a Christian fashion in the construct Ware has built? This is not theology that leads to doxology. It is theology that leads to paralysis. Other sections of the book do bring us to live as we should. The intermingled doctrines of prayer and worship as presented do not lead to the same destination.

Not only have I been surprised at Ware's position on prayer/worship, I am perplexed at the unqualified recommendations that internet reviewers have given the book. Brothers and sisters, are you reading carefully? While I agree that Ware has many profitable things to say, they pale in comparison to the potential damage caused by his unbalanced and contradictory positions on prayer and worship. This error is the kind of minefield that could blow apart a local church. Has anyone become convinced by Ware's argument that prayer must be offered to the Father alone through Christ? If so, a balanced biblically-based worship service would be akin to scraping your forehead with a cheese grater. If the church has been protected wholesale by God's grace from falling into this error, I am thankful for His outpoured mercy.

What, then, is my overall opinion of the book? Although Ware presents several helpful points which will make a difference in my life, the deep impact of his position on prayer/worship gives me great concern.

For Further Study Concerning Prayer to Christ

Millard Erickson

God in Three Persons
The Word Became Flesh

H. R. Mackintosh

The Doctrine of the Person of Jesus Christ

Robert Morey

The Trinity: Evidence and Issues

Simon Kistemaker

New Testament Commentary - Acts, 1 Corinthians

Gordon Fee

New International Commentary on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians

John Calvin

Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles

Robert Reymond

A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith

B. B. Warfield

The Lord of Glory

John Owen

Christologia

Wayne Grudem

Systematic Theology

Charles Hodge

Systematic Theology, vol III.

Bruce Milne

Know the Truth

Robert Dabney

Lectures in Systematic Theology

Leon Morris

Reflections on the Gospel of John
Jesus In The Christ

Jerome Smith

The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Acts 7:58-59

Resting In Jesus

2008-07-18T20:14:00.004-05:00

One of the great truths of the Gospel that was recaptured and rightly emphasized through the Reformation was the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. Justification by faith alone was so foundational to the work of reformation that it became embodied in one of the slogans of the Reformation--Sola Fide (Faith Alone). It is not the only "sola" of the Reformation and there is a need to see it in combination with the other solas to understand the full picture. But such an examination is outside the scope of this little note. We are going to focus our attention on sola fide and will leave the broader examination for another time.

During the Reformation, "Faith Alone" was set in contrast to the Roman Catholic concept of works of merit done in a state of grace for which it was fitting (in the Catholic view) for God to judge them as worthy of reward. But the Reformers uncomprisingly held to the Biblical witness that our salvation is based SOLELY on the person and work of Jesus Christ, and not on anything done in us or by us. The Reformers held that God's judicial verdict of "righteous" in favor of us could be based solely on our sin being counted to Christ and correspondingly Christ's perfect righteousness being counted towards us. How can our sin be laid upon Jesus and His righteousness made ours? By placing our faith in Jesus as Savior, trusting Him to save us. This faith in Jesus has, at times, been described as "resting in Jesus".

"Faith Alone", like all Biblical doctrines, can be misunderstood. One way it is misunderstood is when people hear "faith alone" and think it means the following:

God does not justify us because of our good works. He justifies us because of our faith. Our faith stands in the place of good works. Our faith is what deserves our justification before God. In other words, faith becomes the one good work which we must do so that we deserve to be saved.

In such a view, faith itself is seen as being our righteousness, not as the means of connecting us with the righteousness of Christ. In this view, faith replaces the work of Christ and becomes the basis upon which God gives salvation to us. Repeatedly throughout the years, as I have discussed "faith alone" with people, I have been conscious of the danger of misunderstanding "faith alone" in such a way. As I was thinking about "faith alone" and how to overcome this misunderstanding, the imagery of resting in Jesus came to mind. Let me describe what unfolded in my mind's eye.

As I thought on the phrase "resting in Jesus", an illustration came to mind which might help us see why faith itself is not why God will justify us. Now, this is an illustration, and no illustration is perfect. Think of your bedtime. At the end of a long, wearying day you look forward to a night of restful sleep. When bedtime arrives, you sit on the edge of the bed, turn off the light, pick your feet up off the floor, and rest on your bed. When you pick your feet up and lay down, your full weight is carried by the bed beneath you. You are "resting in bed". It is the bed which is holding you up. It is bearing the burden of all your weight. You cannot lay on it harder or softer. Your entire weight is all you have and no amount of "laying down harder" will put any additional load on the bed. We don't speak of laying down hard or soft. It's not a matter of degree. Laying down is not done in parts. It's all of you. When we speak of "resting in Jesus", it is this kind of resting that is being described. This kind of "full weight laid upon another to bear the load" is what I have in mind for "resting in Jesus".

Well, if you misunderstand "faith alone" to mean that you are saved by your work of faith instead of by Jesus' righteousness, how would that change the illustration? You would probably want to do the best job you could of laying in bed. So once you pick your feet up off the floor, you may think this way, "I must lay down as good as I possibly can. I am doing such a good job of laying here. I'm certain that this bed is going to recognize the quality of my laying here and reward me for it. Others can see that I am doing my best at laying here. I will continue to do my best at laying here." Perhaps you will think you should lay down harder, bearing down on the bed with all of your might (which really accomplishes nothing and certainly does not contribute to your rest). Or maybe you become convinced that you should lay lighter, but how would that be done? Perhaps you should stand and merely lean on the bed? Once again, you will not find true rest in such a posture. Are you really contributing anything to the bed's ability to hold you up as you lay there? Of course not! It is the bed that is upholding you and not anything to do with your laying will make you to be held up any better or more than you already are.

You see, "faith alone" is "resting in Jesus". This resting is a placing of all your weight on Jesus for HIM to bear you up. This resting, like physical resting, is not something which can be done more fully through exertion. It is a trust in HIM to uphold your full weight. It is a resting in HIM from the weariness of sin. Who does the work? Jesus does the work in holding you up, just as the bed alone holds you up and you contribute nothing to it without ruining your rest. And when people look to your resting in Him, what will they see? Not the fact that you are resting so well that God should forgive you, but that Jesus is holding you up entirely and perfectly. When you look to your own resting, what will you see? Not your resting, but the Beloved One who holds you up.

Do you see that faith alone does not point to your resting, to your faith, but to the one upholding you. He is the one bearing you up fully and completely. This is "faith alone". This is for His praise and glory. Amen.

Twelve Ordinary Men, One Interesting Book

2008-07-13T17:24:00.006-05:00

Our weather here was extraordinary yesterday. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue, and the temperature was pleasant. I had a wonderful opportunity to spend the day reading and the evening with family. All in all it was a memorable time, even in its ordinary character, which brings me to the book I spent time with that day. It is John MacArthur's Twelve Ordinary Men. Compared to some of the weighty theological thickets I try to run through, this was a breath of fresh air. It is an encouraging work, giving you the opportunity to consider the Lord's selection and development of his closest disciples, the apostles.

MacArthur brings together a wide scriptural view of the individuals, fitting together the pieces of their lives, personalities, and relationships with the touch of a pastor. He removes much of the mystery around the prominent personalities and paints them with human hues. The book isn't long or scholarly. It can be appreciated by nearly every reader. The best feature of MacArthur's work is how he brings the Lord's work to light in these typical men. So much of the blogosphere and Christian publishing in general is tuned to present our profession as a profession (meaning the faith belongs in the hands of academic professionals) that everyman and everywoman find scant springs of courage in their journey through the land of ordinary. MacArthur's work brings the everyman apostles to the everyman disciples of today. Dare I say, I feel courage in the Lord and not simply encouragement after reading this. Jesus was so patient with his disciples as he walked this guilty sod, the Lamb of God leading the flock along the way.

I believe this is one of those works that will have a quiet, lifelong impact on those who consider the message. No trumpets. No crowns. No awards for valor. But a life walked before the Lord in humilty and trust. Oh that we could be such ordinary people.

Walk, don't run

2008-07-06T17:53:00.003-05:00

I had an opportunity to fill the pulpit in my home church this morning. The text was 2 John. You can listen to it here.

2 John - Walk, Don't Run

Walk in truth
Walk in love (John 14:21-24; Acts 20:28-30)
Don't run ahead

The Power of His Voice - Psalm 29

2008-07-04T14:28:00.006-05:00

I am reading Spurgeon's devotional commentary on Psalm 29. The psalm magnifies the glory of God by considering his epic works of nature. Spurgeon's application stirs the soul. Oh the great mercy shown us in the cross! Though we would amass an Everest of sin, His intercession overscales it all.

"The glorious gospel of the blessed God has more than equal power over the rocky obduracy and mountainous pride of man. The voice of our dying Lord rent the rocks and opened the graves: his living voice still works the like wonders. Glory be to his name, the hills of our sins leap into his grave, and are buried in the red sea of his blood, when the voice of his intercession is heard." - Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 29

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

God and god - The Irony of the Watchtower Jesus, part 1

2008-07-04T10:59:00.007-05:00

Christians believe, on biblical grounds, that there is one God. This belief is nicknamed 'monotheism'. God is the unique being over all. In essence, God is the creator of everything and everyone else. He alone is uncreated. He alone is God. Anyone else who claims godhood is a mere pretender to the throne. Throughout the history of both old and new testaments, people have been constantly pursuing gods other than God. God has condemned this pursuit repeatedly.

For example:

"You shall have no other gods before Me." - Exodus 20:3, NAU
"To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him." - Deuteronomy 4:35, NAU
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me;" - Isaiah 45:5, NAU
"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - I Timothy 1:17, NAU

Jehovah's Witness beliefs differ from historic Christianity in several areas. One critical difference lies in their presentation of Jesus as 'a god' instead of God the Son. They believe that Jehovah is Almighty God and Jesus is a created being who fills the role of Mighty God. In defense of this, they feel compelled to justify the existence of 'a god' apart from Jehovah but there is an inescapable irony to their defense of this dual-god doctrine.

In their pamphlet on the Trinity, they make the following claim:

"Thousands of times throughout the Bible, God is spoken of as one person. When he speaks, it is as one undivided individual. The Bible could not be any clearer on this. ... I am Yahweh your God . . . You shall have no gods except me." —Exodus 20:2,3, JB. (http://www.watchtower.org/e/ti/article_05.htm)

"You shall have no gods except me." Now wait a minute. What did God say? Read it again. "... no gods". But doesn't the Watchtower teach Jehovah's Witnesses that there is God and a god both ruling the universe? How does that make sense in light of God's prohibition against having any god other than him? Jehovah's Witnesses want to have God and a god. God denies that this is true.

The Watchtower did get something right. "The Bible could not be any clearer on this." It's ironic that Jehovah's Witnesses believe something that is opposite from what the Bible teaches so clearly.

To be continued...

Words of worship

2008-07-03T05:24:00.005-05:00

The Lord is to be worshipped. Consider what the psalmist writes in Psalm 29.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. (Psa 29:1-2, ESV)

Are you building your worship vocabulary to be able to give Him the glory due his name? I have been joining with the psalmist reveling in God's glory in Psalm 29. If you haven't read it recently, grab your bible and redeem 5 minutes today by listening to all creation give Him the glory due His name.

An Exercise In Frustration

2008-06-14T19:21:00.002-05:00

I continue (slowly) compiling my thoughts on Bruce Ware's book Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. This has been an experience in frustration. I'm trying to get it done, but as I've said before... I appreciate much that Ware has written, even within this book. He has been a reliable theologian in current evangelical concerns surrounding open theism. The situation merits time taken for reflection and study.

My concerns at this point are focused on Ware's definition of prayer and worship. I feel like the mouse who roared at a lion. As overwhelming (for me... underwhelming for everyone else) as this is, I am compelled by conscience and conviction to say something. I think Ware's book is a bit of a sleeper amongst booksellers. Frankly, I'm thankful for that. He is capable of so much better.

The Life of Faith

2008-06-12T05:13:00.005-05:00

I am greatly encouraged by reading William Romaine's The Life, Walk, and Triumph of Faith. If you've never heard of Romaine before, here's your chance to sample him. The vocabulary and writing style is not modern, but the content and intent is priceless.

The flesh lusteth always against the Spirit, and has many and mighty allies on its side, armies of lusts, the faculties of the soul and body to bring forth sin, hosts of fallen angels, and all the world that lieth in wickedness. But the new man, renewed in the spirit of his mind, has a reconciled God on his side, and therefore he need not fear what any enemy can do to him, but may bravely face the stoutest of them, even death itself, relying upon that sure word of promise, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Here is the believer's encouragement to fight, his God will never leave him. Here he obtains victory every day, his God never forsakes him: and after he has fought the good fight of faith, his God and Savior will make him more than conqueror; He will send death to kill sin.

Serving God Sacrificially

2008-06-06T22:02:00.004-05:00

The late James Boice writes in Mind Renewal in a Mindless Age:

Serving God sacrificially is reasonable because only spiritual things will last. My last point is that it is reasonable to give everything we have for God because in the final analysis only that which is spiritual will endure. Everything else, everything we see and touch and handle and sometimes even covet here, will pass away. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away" (Matt 24:35). If that is true of the entire universe, it is certainly true of the small perishable things that you and I give so much of our lives for.

On the other hand, although "the world and its desires pass away," we are also told that the one who "does the will of God lives forever" (I John 2:17). And so do that person's works! The Bible says, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord... . They will rest from their labor, [and] their deeds will follow them" (Rev 14:13). Learning to think this way is part of what it means to think spiritually. It is a start in developing a truly Christian mind.

Peculiar folk

2008-05-30T11:21:00.004-05:00

"The children of God are a holy people. For this very purpose were they born and brought into the world: that they should be holy. For this, they were redeemed with blood and made a peculiar people. God's end in election, the end of all His purposes, is not answered until they become a people zealous of good works." -Spurgeon on Titus 2:14

On Public Worship

2008-05-29T12:08:00.019-05:00

We need to talk. About the corporate worship of the church. Not just any church. Your church. What are your Sunday mornings like? Do you look forward to joining with the assembled saints and worshipping God?

Before you answer, I have an important announcement. I have decided to participate as a contestant in the 2012 London Olympics. I have selected the 10,000 meter long-distance race as the contest to enter. I have started resting up in preparation for the competition. According to the website for the olympics, I have just over 1,500 days to rest up. That seems like an adequate time for an intense schedule of resting, laying around, napping, and otherwise saving my energy until the starter's pistol fires. I didn't feel that I had enough time to rest up for the Beijing games. They are coming up very soon. I believe 1,500 days of rest will position me for a strong, gold-medal performance in London.

What? Why are you looking at me like that? You don't think 1,500 days of rest will bring me to London totally prepared for victory? I need to train and run marathons to prepare for the Olympics? Hmmm... let me think about that. In the mean time...

Back to the question about corporate worship at your church. Are you exercising your soul in private worship of God regularly throughout the week? The psalmist wrote, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Private worship will prime your heart for the corporate services of your church. To apply the olympic illustration above, you need to train your heart and mind throughout the week if you are to engage in whole-souled worship with God's assembled people. Busying yourself throughout the week with insta-urgent demands from sun up to sun down, never leaving time to cultivate your relationship with the Lord or worshipping will leave you feeling empty come Sunday morning. It's hardly reasonable to expect that you can turn on your heart affections for a few minutes on Sunday morning and feel that you've worshipped the Father in spirit and in truth.

I'm left wondering if the wonders of modern life are not robbing what little piety we evangelicals have left. At the very least, the younger strata of the evangelical culture is heavily impacted by the hyperdriven lifestyle. The middle-agers and seniors among us have an opportunity to model a devotional lifestyle before these dear young people.

I know there are many who visit here who do practice private worship throughout the week. The comments section is open. Please share your practice and ideas for pursuing the Lord in private worship throughout the week. This is a means to spur your brothers and sisters on to greater works of love in service to the Lord.

Caller ID and the Call You Won’t Miss

2008-05-28T18:15:00.010-05:00

A long time ago, telephones used to be mounted to the wall. I am so old I now remember “a long time ago”. The house I grew up in had one phone for the entire house. The handset had a cord on it that connected to the base. The handset cord would stretch two, maybe three feet from the base. The number buttons were on the base (the first phone I remember had a dial instead of buttons but let’s not go there). There were no buttons on the handset. Zero. Zilch. Nada. It only had an earpiece and mouthpiece. Of course, you were only two feet from the base anyway, so it’s not like you needed buttons on the handset. It came with one ringtone preloaded in it called a bell. It would always ring the same way. Rrrrrinnnnggggg rrrrrinnnnnngggg

I love Caller ID. For many years, phone callers held a special power over me. I would risk life and limb to get to the phone… simply because it was ringing. I had no clue who was on the other end, but until I found out… GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! COMING THROUGH!!! HOT STUFF!!!! MEDICAL EMERGENCY!!! You would think I was sitting in the electric chair and the warden forgot to fasten my seat belt before closing the circuit. (rrrrrrrrrrinnnnnnnggggggggg) ZIP!

Stairs were particularly treacherous. If I fell down them trying to get to the phone, I would lunge and grasp for the phone without any regard for my well-being. After all, the phone was ringing. What else was I supposed to do? It’s like a voice in my head was screaming “ANSWER THIS BEFORE IT STOPS RINGING OR YOUR HEAD WILL EXPLODE!”

Then (and how old does this make me?) cordless phones came out. Oh, saved by the bell (or actually by the lack of a cord). Now I could carry the phone anywhere in the house and answer it without fracturing a femur. But even this advancement did not break the spell of the ringer. When it rang, I had to drop whatever I was doing and answer it. "Almost... there. Do I cut the red wire or the blue? The counter is down to 20 seconds... I have to make a choice right now. I choose bl[rrrrinnnnnngggg] Hello? A free catalog you say? Sure, sign me up (3...2...1...)."

After living for years constantly on the edge of my seat, waiting... no, eagerly anticipating my next unknown phone call, Caller ID arrived and broke the shackles that bound me mercilessly to my telephone. I became drunk with power... not answering my phone for days at a time. Then reality set in. The unknown calls I had risked life and limb for were mostly worthless. Now that I knew who was calling, rare was the truly valuable phone call.

I feel somehow... diminished by this so called 'advancement' in technology.

We're always connected these days. Caller id and cell phone technology help us filter out a tiny percentage of the unwanted noise in our lives. We have come to the point of relying on knowing who is calling to decide if we should answer. So what is this "Call You Won't Miss"? It is the resurrection call of Christ. Jesus told the crowd around him that "an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." (John 5)

Everyone will hear this call. This is NOT the call of the gospel. It is the resurrection call to stand before the King. All will hear him. All will come forth. All will stand before him. There is no filtering out this call and not answering it. It is the call you won't miss, ready or not.

Christian, Jesus here uses the marks of the Christian life to identify His disciples. We are saved by grace through faith, of this there is no doubt. But I am forced to ask myself, "What am I doing with my life?" Am I pursuing God's good works in this life... or will I want to skip Jesus' call out of shame for the waste I've made of the time, gifts, and duties he has placed in my stewardship. You've taken the time to read this far. Go ahead, ask yourself the same question.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

I have been impressed lately with the laziness of my own walk and my preoccupation with entertainment. My pastor touched on 2 Timothy 3:6 and it has stuck with me for awhile now.

"I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God"

I am reminded, fan in hand.

A sermon on two destinies

2008-05-25T12:45:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege of filling the pulpit in my home church today. Here is the recording of the sermon. The primary text is John 5:28-29.

The Stewardship of Pain

2008-05-24T14:52:00.013-05:00

Tomorrow I will be completing my adult Sunday School series based on Jerry Bridges' book The Joy of Fearing God. Although I have previously mentioned his book in the blog, it merits one more appearance. Brothers and Sisters, here is a practical guide for living.

Bridges writes of a duty in the Christian life that is rarely seen as a stewardship - the stewardship of pain.

“It often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him. The moral will of God given to us in the Bible is rational and reasonable. The circumstances in which we trust God often appear irrational and inexplicable.” —Jerry Bridges

Typical reactions when encountering adversity:

God didn’t have anything to do with this
Get angry with God
Bear it in our own strength

Another path—the stewardship of pain

Trust Him in your pain
Ask for His sustaining grace
Testify to the sufficiency of His sustaining grace
Ask God for opportunities of ministry that our pain may bring up

If there is something this old world never seems short of, it is pain. That the Lord would have a purpose for it is one of the great sources of strength and endurance for the pilgrim walking the rocky path. If you are not in the midst of trouble now, you will be. When it comes, how will you greet it? How will you endure its visit, whether protracted or extended?

I cannot do Bridges justice in this small space. I can only hand it to the next weary walker of this guilty sod.

Stepping back in time

2008-04-19T21:33:00.002-05:00

I had planned on reading Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach. This is a new book on the atonement. I'm backpedaling for a few months to read a handful of foundational books on the doctrine by Smeaton and Morris. As some reviewers have mentioned, Morris gets no mention in their book at all. I would be better served personally by investing the time in both Smeaton and Morris, so I'll forego the opportunity to read Pierced for Our Transgressions first.

Bruce Ware - Father, Son, & Holy Spirit

2008-04-19T21:21:00.004-05:00

I finally completed reading Bruce Ware's book on the Trinity, which is focused (as the subtitle suggests) on the relationships, roles, and relevance of the doctrine of the Trinity on the church and world today. I'm working on the review, but the ground is rocky and it's taking quite a bit longer than it should. Ware says many helpful things, but one concern he raises similarly raises a concern on my part about what he says and how he says it. I'm doing background research before saying much more. I hope to be done in the next couple of weeks, God willing.

It's starting to get warmer here in the Midwest so my evenings are filling up with less cerebral but more physically active pursuits. I have read most of Ware's works on the openness issue. He's always been helpful there. This is why I believe it's best to be prudent and patient with my concerns. I respect Ware as a theologian. He has proven himself to be a friend of the evangelical and apologetics community with his 'openness' critiques. When I find myself differing with him, it is best to spend some time meditating on the question rather than firing off a half-baked critique that misses the mark.

Living In Dependence or Living Independence?

2008-04-05T18:41:00.005-05:00

I have been teaching through Jerry Bridges' book The Joy of Fearing God in my adult Sunday school class for several months. Mr. Bridges has distinguished himself as a helpful author for many years. This is another fountain of life. If you are walking a desert in the Christian life and need water from the rock, here is a spring of fresh water to slake your thirst.

Do you need 'practical Christianity'? Bridges points out many facets of the Christian life and they are practical indeed. One point the author makes repeatedly continues to impact my thinking and devotional life, namely dependence. The Christian walk is a walk of dependence. I'm still working out what to do with this, both privately and publicly. I hesitate with anything public, but I'm wondering if that isn't because of my own independence (which is obviously opposed to the life of dependence that Bridges draws so vividly). Pride is a huge issue with me. At times I am caught up in doubt about saying anything. How can I talk about dependence in a helpful manner when it is such a struggle for me to live consistently in it? Instead of living in dependence, I feel many times that I am living independence. I know I'm not. I can't. Yet, there it is, lurking in my internal life, ready to spring into action with the slightest provocation.

I am thankful to Jerry Bridges for writing this book, and even more thankful to the Lord for showing me where one of the front lines lies in the battle of my life.

Clones and Confusion, Watchtower Style

2008-03-24T17:26:00.000-05:00

Ok... this is a theoretical circumstance and I know some of you won't like it. But whether you like it or not, we're staring down the barrel of modern medicine and questions like this need to be discussed.

Concerning the resurrection, the Watchtower holds that there is no continuity of existence from one plane to the next. In other words, if a Jehovah's Witness (we'll call him Joe) dies today he completely and totally ceases to exist. Joe is no more. There is nothing left of Joe. There are only fond memories... or not-so-fond memories, depending on your relationship with Joe.

At a future time, Jehovah decides to 'resurrect' Joe. To do this, he creates a physical body, breathes life into it, and infuses it with all of the memories, likes, dislikes, mannerisms, and somesuch that Joe had when he was alive the first time around. This new creature is now considered to be Joe, although he is not directly connected to the first existence of Joe in any way. In other words, he is a really good copy of Joe. In today's technospeak, we could call him Joe v2.0. According to the Watchtower, Joe v2.0 is as Joe as he can be. He is exactly like the original Joe. This constitutes a 'resurrection' of Joe in the Watchtower vernacular.

Which leads me to the theoretical scenario. Let's say that sometime in the next 50 years, human cloning is achieved. Through a rigorous selection process, they select someone who has led an exemplary life concerning their physical body and habits. That someone could be named Sally. Sally is a Jehovah's Witness. What if... and this is a huge 'what if', Sally v2.0 has the same memories, mannerisms, habits, physical tics, etc as Sally?

According to the Watchtower, has Sally been resurrected? What if Sally is still alive? If the definition the Watchtower articulates regularly concerning resurrection is the true biblical picture, then I believe we will have a real dilemma on our hands. Sally will be resurrected in Sally v2.0, whether or not Sally is dead and resurrection will have been accomplished by science apart from Jehovah's raising of Sally.

Theoretical? Undoubtedly. Confusing? Again, undoubtedly.

Anyone have any input they would be willing to share? Please, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Mahaney for $3

2008-02-24T21:01:00.002-06:00

CBD is closing out one of CJs books for $3. It is Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross. Check it out here.

Take Heed How You Hear - Free Offer

2008-02-10T07:19:00.001-06:00

I have prepared a tri-fold brochure of John Piper's helpful instruction on hearing the Word of God profitably on Sunday morning. It can easily fit in your Bible and serve you, your family, and your church with helpful and practical preparations. You can receive this brochure free by emailing your snail-mail address to me at daveatjude3@msn.com I will not share your address (snail or otherwise) with anyone.

Get it. Got it?

2008-01-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

Bowman and Komoszewski are burning up the Amazon checkout lanes with this fire sale on their book. Here is my review of the book. Get it. Now.

Revised: The fire has been put out. Nevertheless, it's still a great deal. Check it out.